Wisconsin

3 quick takeaways from Wisconsin’s spring practice No. 12: Defense soars on interception-filled day

Published

7 months ago

April 17, 2025

3 quick takeaways from Wisconsin’s spring practice No. 12: Defense soars on interception-filled day

The Wisconsin Badgers had their 12th practice of the spring and their final one before Saturday’s spring showcase, where fans will get a chance to see their new-look team early in the offseason.

To say the least, it was a rough day for the offense, as the defense thrived throughout the morning, racking up highlight play after highlight play.

Here are three quick takeaways from Wisconsin’s spring practice No. 12.

Interceptions steal the day

The Badgers defense had six (yes, six!) interceptions on Thursday, as the offense had the worst day yet. To make matters worse, much of the damage came when the top teams faced off.

Senior quarterback Billy Edwards had a day to forget, throwing four interceptions, each of which was either a poor decision or a throw by the transfer. The problem? Edwards didn’t have many positive plays or a bounce-back away from the interceptions.

He airmailed a throw to the sideline for Jayden Ballard on a great play design that got him free between the intermediate and deep levels against Cover 2. He had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage. There were a few sacks on the day. There were some snap issues. And, more importantly, there weren’t the explosive plays that offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’s offense was predicated on.

The Badgers offense has been very inconsistent through the first 12 practices of the spring, especially in the passing game. Sophomore quarterback Danny O’Neil had a few spot reps with the first-team offense on Thursday in a change, and Wisconsin also gave some second-team reps to walk-on Milos Spasojevic as a result.

The backups didn’t have much better results either. O’Neil had an interception that safety Matt Jung plucked out of the air, while Spasojevic threw a pick to freshman Cooper Catalano, who made a great catch.

There was just zero life for an offense that has really been looking to pick things up, although some crafty play designs continued to come out.

The biggest play of the day was when Spasojevic came in with the second-team offense, as the walk-on hit freshman wide receiver Eugene Hilton with a sweet over-the-shoulder ball that the wideout slowed down for to haul in.

But, apart from that, it was primarily a defense-dominated day with tons of interceptions.

Freshmen getting extended looks

The Badgers 2025 freshmen class had quite a few early enrollees, as nearly two-thirds of the group came to campus this spring.

There have been several players who are starting to make plays, but a few are beginning to separate themselves with chances alongside either the first or second-team offense.

Leading the way is freshman wide receiver Eugene Hilton, who has been a feature with the No. 2 offense all spring long. Now, understand that wide receivers see quite a bit of rotation, so there aren’t really any set groups at the position, but it’s notable that Hilton is getting as many opportunities as he is this early.

For the first time that I’ve seen this spring, Hilton was in there with the first-team offense for a few snaps as the Badgers rotated receivers, playing on the boundary with Tyrell Henry in the slot.

In addition, some of the freshmen offensive linemen are already getting thrown into the fire. Offensive tackle Nolan Davenport quickly ascended to the second-team right tackle spot, which he’s had to hold down as reserve tackle Barrett Nelson is out for the spring with an injury.

But, Hardy Watts has also seen some opportunities, and he was a fixture at right guard with the second-team offense on Thursday as Kerry Kodanko assumed the first-team duties while J.P. Benzschawel and Emerson Mandell did not partake in team drills.

It’ll take some time for the freshmen offensive linemen to develop, especially shape-wise, but it’s a notable step that they’re getting thrown in the fire this early.

Cooper Catalano had his best day yet, as he caught a nice jumping interception, breaking on an out-route that was thrown behind the intended target. He later also caused a fumble on wide receiver Davion Thomas-Kumpula working in space.

As the Badgers get into the fall, much of the focus will be on their developing 2024 and 2025 classes, which will be integral to the team’s success over the next few years.

Safeties continue to shine

Earlier this spring, I noted the safety room as a strength, as the group bounced back well from the loss of Hunter Wohler with some key retentions and additions.

Moving Austin Brown back to safety has provided the room with more depth, alongside returning starter Preston Zachman, while transfer additions Matt Jung and Matthew Traynor have made their marks at certain times in the spring.

On Thursday, it was Zachman and Jung’s turn to shine.

Zachman had the best day of any defender, finding his way around the football on several occasions. I charted him with three interceptions or very-close interceptions on Billy Edwards, as the safety just found a way to be around the ball and capitalize when chances were there.

Jung, on the other hand, had a sweet interception (or near interception) by breaking well on the ball, and he was constantly around the ball.

Jung is built like a linebacker at 6’3, 225 pounds, and he drives downhill to make plays at the line of scrimmage. But, he also has a nose for the football, as seen with his nine interceptions and four pick-sixes a season ago.

The Badgers safety room will definitely be tested by a tough schedule, but they’ve seemed to have found some gems in the group, which bodes well for defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s new scheme.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Nov. 23, 2025

Published

9 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Nov. 23, 2025

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 23, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

Midday: 0-2-5

Evening: 6-0-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

Midday: 3-6-6-3

Evening: 8-8-9-7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

Midday: 01-02-04-06-10-14-16-17-18-19-21

Evening: 02-03-05-07-08-10-11-13-20-21-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

02-05-21-22-28

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Nov. 23 drawing

03-07-08-18-31-33, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin football insider: A closer look at Darrion Dupree’s 84-yard touchdown run

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin football insider: A closer look at Darrion Dupree’s 84-yard touchdown run

Wisconsin defeated Illinois 27-10, holding the Illini to a season-low point total.
Outside linebacker Darryl Peterson recorded three sacks, the most by a Badgers player in a single game since 2021.
Despite the win, Wisconsin’s quarterback was sacked five times and the team incurred a costly personal foul penalty.

MADISON – A look back at Wisconsin’s 27-10 victory over Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Camp Randall Stadium.

Big picture

Playing the nation’s toughest schedule appears to have made the Badgers a tougher team. Wisconsin entered play assured of a second straight sub .500 season and Illinois was ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25, but pretty much from start to finish the Badgers showed they were the better team. They never trailed and held Illinois to what tied its season-low point total. The Illini’s 298 total yards were also third-lowest behind Indiana (161) and Ohio State (295).

Turning point: Darrion Dupree breaks loose, gives UW a cushion

There was still almost two whole quarters left to play when sophomore Darrion Dupree broke loose for an 84-yard touchdown run that, after the extra point, pushed the Badgers advantage to 17-7.

Besides putting a jolt into the crowd the score gave a Wisconsin team that doesn’t have much room for error a two-score lead. The Badgers went 80 yards for a touchdown on their first possession and closed the half with a field goal, but this was the first point in the night they had control of the game.

Thumbs up: Dupree gets a lot of help on TD run

It took a lot of blocks to pave the way for Dupree’s 84-yard TD run. Tight end Tucker Ashcraft started things with a block out of the backfield and center Davis Heinzen and guards Joe Brunner and Kerry Kodanko created space up the middle.
Another gem from Dupree’s run: Receiver Eugene Hilton fooled Illinois cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. into thinking a pass was thrown his way and ran his defender off the play. It’s the main reason there was no one downfield to challenge Dupree at the end of the run.
Wisconsin fumbled three times but didn’t lose any of them. The biggest recovery was made by Ashcraft, who covered the ball after a 6-yard gain by freshman quarterback Carter Smith on the Badgers’ first drive. That possession ended up going 80 yards for a touchdown.
Graduate outside linebacker Darryl Peterson finished with three sacks, raising his career-best in that statistic for the second straight week. The last Badgers with three sacks in a game was Nick Herbig in 2021.

Box score | UW schedule | Standings

Thumbs down: UW gets hit with personal fouls, takes unnecessary sacks

Tyrese Fearbry was hit with a personal foul penalty in the fourth quarter that allowed Illinois to start possession at its 40-yard line.
Smith was sacked five times, but two of those came when he ran out of bounds on a scramble rather than throwing ball away.

Wisconsin football schedule: The Badgers travel to Minnesota in battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Nov. 29

The trophy cases are bare for the Badgers, but they can fix that next Saturday in Minneapolis. Wisconsin has lost three of the last four meetings to the Gophers, including a 24-7 loss last season that guaranteed UW a losing season. Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) has lost two straight and three of its last four.

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Wisconsin’s ‘snowiest’ ski resort files for bankruptcy in a bid for survival

Published

3 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin’s ‘snowiest’ ski resort files for bankruptcy in a bid for survival

A popular Wisconsin ski resort that has been around since the 1960s has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it fights to survive another winter on the slopes.

Midwest Skiing Company LLC, which owns and operates the Whitecap Mountains Resort in Upson, Wisconsin, said in court papers that it filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday after back-to-back winters with “extremely low” snowfall gutted its revenue and left it buried in debt.

The resort, with 43 ski runs across 400 acres, has been touted as the “snowiest ski resort in Wisconsin,” a court filing in its bankruptcy case said, adding that Whitecap Mountain annually gets “some of the highest snowfall in the state making for excellent conditions and regular powder days.”

However, the past two winters have brought little of the snow that built the resort’s reputation.

Snowfall at the resort plummeted from 260 inches in the 2022-2023 season to less than 30 inches the next winter, slashing revenue from roughly $1.4 million to about $197,000, the court papers said. The most recent season brought less than 60 inches of snow and only about $532,000 in total revenue.

“The low revenue in 2023 put the Debtor in a position where it needed additional funding to cover its revenue shortage,” said the filing. “While the Debtor survived the 2023-24 season, it required short-term financing to bridge the gap until the next ski season and payoff several expenses.”

Lender declared resort ‘in default’

The resort — which is all-season, but known for its skiing — turned to private lender Brighton Asset Management for a short-term loan to help it get by. Another “slow” 2024-2025 season prevented the resort’s owner from extending or refinancing the loan, the court papers say.

Brighton said Midwest Skiing Company was “in default” on about $1.86 million in debt and, through a lawsuit, moved to foreclose on the resort’s property, according to the court motion seeking approval to use cash collateral.

A court ruled in favor of Brighton in August.

Midwest Skiing Company filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy “to put a stop to the collection efforts and speculation within its community and among customers over the upcoming snow season,” the filings said.

“The automatic stay under the bankruptcy code stops Brighton from moving forward with collection through foreclosure or replevin,” attorneys for Midwest Skiing Company wrote in the filing.

Customers and employees “can be confident,” the filing said, that Midwest Skiing Company “will retain control and continue operations through the upcoming snow season.”

In its bankruptcy petition, Midwest Skiing Company estimated its assets as between $1 million and $10 million, with the same range for its estimated liabilities.

Attorneys for the company wrote in court papers that the Chapter 11 filing “provides a path forward” for the resort “to continue its operations for years to come under a plan of reorganization.”

The court papers say that Midwest Skiing Company — which has been owned by ski and hospitality industry veteran David Dziuban since 2008 — merged this week with Glebe Mountains, Inc., allowing for a “more efficient and less costly reorganization.”

Attorneys for Midwest Skiing Company and Brighton did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Business Insider on Friday.

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